1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments relate to a secondary battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
The recent trend toward weight reduction and high performance of portable electronic devices, e.g., video cameras, cellular phones and mobile computers, has motivated a great deal of research on secondary batteries as power sources for the devices. Secondary batteries may include, e.g., nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, nickel-zinc batteries and lithium secondary batteries. Lithium batteries are widely used in state-of-the-art electronic devices due to their, e.g., rechargeability, smaller size, larger capacity, higher operating voltage and higher energy density per unit weight.
A typical lithium battery is fabricated by accommodating an electrode assembly, including a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate and a separator, together with an electrolyte in a can. Then, the upper opening of the can is closed with a cap assembly to seal the can. An insulating case may be inserted into the can to prevent a short between the cap assembly and the electrode assembly.